Tennyo no Hakkou
by CherryPow
Summary: The tale of a tennyo who fell in love with a human.
1. Prologue: Days Gone By

Once there was a beautiful tennyo named Misaki. She was one of the kindest, most gentlest tennyo ever to exist. She loved being on earth. There was just so much for her to experience. She loved the sights and sounds. The way all the beings on earth interacted with each other.

One day, as she was walking through a forest, she found a man lying on the ground. Thinking he may be injured, she went over to help him. As she leaned over him to check for wounds, the man awoke. Their eyes met, and Misaki lost her heart to the man who lay before her. His eyes were a brown so dark and deep, that they appeared to be black. In them, she could see the pain and suffering of a hard life, but also the strength and devotion that he was capable of.

When the man saw Misaki, he thought that he had died in his sleep. Misaki assured him that he still lived, and asked him who he was, and why was he sleeping in the woods. The man told her that his name was Hiroshi. He had been out hunting one afternoon and when he found nothing to hunt, he decided to go a little deeper into the woods. He became lost when night fell, and was forced to spend the night in the woods. Misaki smiled and told him that she had been in these woods many times, and that she would lead him out of them.

So she did and when they came to Hiroshi's home, she stayed with him. She had never met a human before, and she found Hiroshi to be fascinating. Eventually, they fell in love and were married.

Meanwhile, another tennyo named Ayane was fretting over the disappearance of her beloved Misaki. She had not seen Misaki since she had descended to earth for one of her frivolous walks. Ayane worried that she had been trapped and was forced to remain on earth with a human male as she had heard had happened to other tennyo. For years, Ayane searched the earth looking for Misaki. Then, just as she was about to give up hope, she found her.

Ayane quietly observed the scene she came upon from the top of a tree. Misaki was not wearing her hagoromo, which had made it hard to track her down. She was playing with some children in a river and looked happy. She saw Misaki turn to the right, and Ayane followed her gaze. Coming towards Misaki over the rocks that lined the river was a human. A male. Ayane watched as Misaki ran over to him and threw her arms around him. The male picked her up and swung her around, setting her down and then kissing her on the lips.

This was more than Ayane could bear. She felt the fury rise up inside her. Screaming her rage, she flew down the tree top towards Misaki. Misaki was hers...she belonged to her. Ayane's eyes dripped with tears. How _dare_ Misaki betray her like this! She would have to pay.

Misaki heard the enraged cry, and looked up to see Ayane flying towards her. She remembered her children, and saw that they were directly in Ayane's path. Her children were too frozen in fear at the sight of the angry tennyo, and couldn't move. It didn't look like Ayane was about to stop either. Without another thought, Misaki thrust out a hand. She cried out Ayane's name, and pleaded with her to stop. Ayane kept charging, all the while screaming.

Misaki had no choice. She shot a ball of fire straight towards Ayane. Ayane saw it coming, and swerved to the right. This gave Misaki and Hiroshi time to gather their children. While scrambling over the rocks, one of the children slipped and fell into the river. Hiroshi dived into the water after their child. Misaki tore her gaze from her husband and child, to search for Ayane. She found her headed towards them at full speed. Nothing was going to stop her this time.

Misaki made a decision. She took the child with her by the hand, and had him crouch down among the rocks. Searching the riverside for her husband and other child, she found them on the other side of the river gasping for breath. Hiroshi looked up as Misaki gazed lovingly at him. With tears in her eyes, she sent a message to Hiroshi. "I'll always love you."

Hiroshi called to his wife to stop as she raised her arms slightly and began to float in the air. With a determined look on her face, she charged Ayane.

The two tennyo clashed in a brilliant flash of light. Blood splattered the rocks below. When the light receded, Hiroshi saw his beloved wife falling in slow motion from mid-air. There was a hole through her chest. The blood from the wound stained her clothes. Hiroshi watched as Misaki hit the water with a sickening splash. Hiroshi jumped in the river to rescue her, and prayed that somehow, she was still alive.

When he reached her, her body was cold and pale. He cried her name over and over and touched her cheek. She couldn't leave him like this. They had two children...he _needed_ her...without her...

Hiroshi let out a sob as he slowly realized that he had lost the one woman he had ever loved. He looked up towards the sky to curse the heavens that had taken her away from him, and saw Ayane. His eyes narrowed as he saw the blood dripping from her right hand. Misaki's blood.

Ayane fixed Hiroshi with a cold look as she spoke, "I have taken from you what you have taken from me. Your punishment will be to have known what is like to have had her, and live out your days with only her memory." With that, Ayane flew away, leaving Hiroshi clutching the body of his dead wife.

Several years later, Hiroshi stood at Misaki's grave. The children were grown up and on their own. He bent over Misaki's grave and lay down flowers. He smiled briefly, knowing that soon it would be over and that he'd be with her once again. Raising a sword to the sky, he plunged it deep into his chest, in the exact spot where Misaki had been wounded. As he slumped over the grave, his dying wish was to be with Misaki once again.


	2. Chapter 1: The Arrival of Ayane

Okay. Here's the first chapter!!! (In case any of you were wondering, yes, the previous chapter before this was a prologue.) For some reason, FanFiction.net wouldn't let me upload anything for quite a few days. :-\ It would say that I uploaded stuff successfully, but there wouldn't be anything in my document manager. Oh well!

I hope you enjoy this next chapter. It's not quite as tragic as the first though. *frowns* Already my work is beginning to slip...oh well. Enjoy!

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Aiko Hinagata sat in chemistry class and stared out the open window. It was spring, and the Cherry Blossom trees were bursting with delicate pink flowers. Smiling, Aiko watched the petals drift on the breeze in lazy patterns until they nestled comfortably in the growing grass. She closed her eyes and dreamed of being surrounded by Cherry Blossom trees. Her brown hair would be blowing in the breeze, petals would be swirling around her. Then she'd open her green eyes and see...

"MISS HINAGATA!" a loud shout broke through her daydream, shocking Aiko's eyes open and causing her to leap to her feet.

"Uh..ah, I'm sorry Mr. Machida," apologized Aiko. Turning red, Aiko picked up her chemistry book and began reading from the first paragraph she laid eyes on. "Avogadro's number states that for every one mole of an element..."

The whole class burst into laughter while the teacher sighed impatiently and rubbed his forhead.

"Miss Hinagata, we've moved on to the next chapter. Please turn to page 334 and begin reading from the third paragraph," Mr. Machida patted his right pants pocket, and thought he had picked the wrong day to quit smoking.

Aiko blushed red again as the class continued to snicker. She found the correct page, and read her assigned paragraph aloud to the class. When she finally sat back down, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Turning around, she came face to face with Yasuo Tachikawa. His brown eyes glittered and the cool breeze that wafted through the classroom ruffled his dark hair slightly. Aiko found herself on the verge of a dreamy sigh.

"Nice going, Hinagata," Yasuo grinned. "Didn't get enough beauty sleep last night?" Leaning closer, Yasuo squinted at Aiko as she held her breath.

"Looks like you could use 10 years worth of beauty sleep." finished Yasuo. Aiko paled, then regaining her senses and color, knocked Yasuo over by throwing her notebook at his head.

"Hmmph. That'll teach you to insult a lady!" sniffed Aiko as she turned back to her desk and began to follow along in her textbook, ignoring the stream of curses coming from Yasuo's mouth.

¤~¤~¤

Aiko hurried down the hallways of Jindai Houbi High School, expertly dodging students heading to lunch or some club meeting. She herself was on her way to Mrs. Yokusei's office to turn in her late history report. Aiko couldn't wait turn in the stupid thing. She had better things to be worrying about.

In just a few more hours, she and her friends would be at Caffeine Rush sipping their drinks before heading off to the mall. The thought of having an icy vanilla frappucino delighted her, and pushed her to walk faster in the hopes that the day would go by faster too. Aiko's thoughts were so clouded with visions of the yummy treat awaiting her, that she didn't see Yasuo leaving another classroom with a folder in hand. The two collided, sending paper flying in all directions.

"Hey!" cried Yasuo as he made a futile attempt to catch his fluttering papers. "Why don't you watch where you're going?" Frantically gathering up his papers, Yasuo glanced up to see who had bumped into him. Seeing Aiko, he huffed out a breath of air and rolled his eyes. "I should've known..."

"I'm sorry," began Aiko. "I didn't see you..."

"Obviously," Yasuo said as he started to retrieve his fallen papers, snagging one just before it was crushed underfoot by someone walking past.

Aiko blushed, which was quickly becoming a habit of hers. She picked up some of the papers scattered around her and glanced down at them. It was Yasuo's biology report. He'd gotten a D+. Shuffling the papers around, she saw that there were a number of Yasuo's homework assignments here and that they all had equally bad grades.

Seeing Aiko looking at his terrible grades, he snatched them out of her hand and began to nervously stuff them back into his folder.

"Umm, you know, Yasuo, if you need help studying or anything, I could probably help you out..." Aiko looked at him warily. "It's no big deal, really. My friends and I hold a study group every Monday and Wednesday at Caffeine Rush. Maybe you should drop by."

Yasuo seemed to consider it for a moment, then shook his head.

"Sorry, I can't. I've got better things to do than sit around and listen to a bunch of girls talk about hair and make-up."

Aiko took a deep breath, and was about to declare that that's not ALL they talked about, when a soft female voice to her right interrupted her thoughts.

"Umm, excuse me."

Aiko and Yasuo turned and saw a girl with silky black hair and blue eyes gazing shyly at them. Yasuo felt an uneasiness that he couldn't quite explain. When the strange girl turned her eyes to Aiko, he felt that uneasiness grow into a slight fear.

Aiko's reaction, however, was one of delight.

"WOW!!! You have such pretty hair! What shampoo do you use?" Aiko picked up a strand of the girl's hair and began twirling it around her fingers. "You're so lucky to have hair like this. Mine never does what I want it to." Pointing to her hair that was slightly mussed from bumping into Yasuo, Aiko pouted.

The girl smiled gently at Aiko as Yasuo rolled his eyes and walked off.

"Girls," grumbled Yasuo as he continued down the hallway. He rounded a corner, then plastered himself to the wall closest to the two girls. There was something about that other girl that he didn't trust.

"Don't mind him," Aiko explained. "He's on his period. Anyway, how can I help you?"

"Could you tell me where Mrs. Yokusei's office is? I'm new here and I'm supposed to see her about an essay she assigned a few weeks ago," said the girl as she stepped out of the way of someone in a rush to get to lunch.

Aiko brightened immediately and took the girl by the hand, guiding her through the crush of bodies. Yasuo turned away as they passed by, and then began following them from a safe distance.

"Follow me! I'm going there myself. She can be a real bitch sometimes, but she's usually a great person." Aiko smiled warmly and glanced at the girl who was looking at their entwined hands with a dazed look on her face. "What's your name?"

The girl's eyes glittered as her gaze lifted to look at Aiko's face.

"Ayane. Ayane Hishi." 


	3. Chapter 2: Mistaken Identity?

Okie. Here's the second chapter! Sorry it took so long. ^^;

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

"Great, so I'll see you tomorrow then, Ayane-chan?" Aiko pinned the phone between her shoulder and cheek as she made the final corrections on her math homework.

"Yup! We're meeting in front of the school, right?" Ayane asked on the other end.

"Yeah. You can't miss us!"

"All right. I'll see you guys then! Bye!"

"Bye!" Aiko hung up the phone, then leaned back in her chair and sighed. Hanging out with Ayane had been fun. Kaiya and Sayuri, two of Aiko's other friends, had taken an instant liking to her. Contrary to her first impression, Ayane was a very outgoing and lively person.

_Maybe a little too lively,_ thought Aiko as she lifted the hem of her nightshirt to gingerly touch the bruises on her knees. Ayane had jumped on her back, knocking both of them to the ground.

_Oh well, at least the girls liked her!_

Aiko crawled into bed and shut off her bedside lamp. She was exhausted. A little sleep, and she'd feel as good as new in the morning!

Nestled safely in her bed, Aiko began to dream.

_Aiko gasped for breath. She couldn't breathe. Something was terribly wrong. Clutching her chest, she felt something wet and slimy. Bringing her hand up, she saw it was covered with blood. Whose blood was it?_

Glancing down, Aiko saw the gaping hole in her chest. Oh my God,_ she thought. _What's happened? Who did this to me?_ Aiko glanced up and saw a dark figure with long hair flowing in the wind. The figure glided forward silently and embraced Aiko._

If I can't have you, no one can,_ whispered the figure and shoved Aiko backward._

There was no way to stop. She could feel herself falling. Aiko reached out, trying to grab hold of something, anything, to stop herself. But there was only air. From far away, she heard someone call her name.

A gasp of shock escaped Aiko as she hit freezing water. She felt the water close in overhead and everthing went black.

Aiko awoke with her hands to her throat as she coughed and gagged for breath.

_That was too real,_ thought Aiko. _I don't think I'll be able to get back to sleep._

Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, she slipped on her house slippers. Aiko cracked her bedroom door open, and peeked out into the dark hallway. Her father's loud snoring signaled that he was fast asleep. Always careful, she chose to tip-toe past his door towards the stairs.

Gripping the cold banister tightly, Aiko slowly made her way downstairs. Through the glass doors that led onto the patio, Aiko could see a full moon peeking out from behind the clouds that hovered in the sky. The moonlight spilled across the floor as she made her way towards the doors. Carefully unlatching them, she slipped outside.

The cold night air washed over Aiko's skin, causing her to shiver and wish she had thought to put on a sweater. She loved being outside at night. There was just something about it that made her feel exhilirated.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move. Warily, Aiko got to her feet.

"Who's there?" Aiko glanced around nervously. There was someone here. She just _knew_ it. Slowly, she began backing up towards the glass doors.

She had just taken a few steps back when she bumped into something. Aiko opened her mouth to scream, and found a hand firmly clamped over her mouth and nostrils. Her eyes widened with terror as she felt the person pull her closer.

"Misaki," said a surprisingly feminine voice. "I shall never let another have you."

Aiko struggled for a few moments, but soon began to feel dizzy and went limp. Tucked in the hand of the dark figure was a cloth doused with chloroform. As Aiko went unconscious, she felt herself being gathered up into the arms of her attacker and the sensation of the wind blowing through her hair.

What she failed to see, as the wind blew past them, was the ground so very far below, and the moon shining brilliantly on Ayane-chan's face.

¤ ¤ ¤

Aiko struggled out of the darkness. She could hear birds chirping brightly all around. For a moment, she thought that she was at home in her bed. But when she opened her eyes, she saw not the comforting walls of her bedroom, but the swaying tops of trees.

Immediately alert, Aiko sat up. Where the hell was she??

"Ahh. I see you've awakened."

Aiko looked up to see a woman with dark hair sitting in the branches of a tree. She wore a long elegant robe, and her hair shone in the morning sun.

"Who are you?" Aiko asked while getting to her feet. "Why have you brought me here?"

The woman pushed herself off the tree branch and Aiko stifled a shout as she watched the woman gently float to the ground.

"Do you not recognize me, Misaki?" A smile laced with venom crept onto the woman's face as she walked toward Aiko. "I am Ayane."

_Ayane? No, this isn't that Ayane..._ though Aiko. _Whoever this person is, she's crazy..._

"I'm sorry, but you must have me mistaken with someone else. My name is Aiko, Aiko Hinagata. Not Misaki," stated Aiko firmly.

The woman's eyes lit with flames as she gripped Aiko by the throat and lifted her high into the air.

"YOU ARE MISAKI!" shouted Ayane. "I'd know the scent of your blood anywhere."

Aiko dug her nails into Ayane's hand and sent a kick to the side of her face. Ayane dropped Aiko to the ground and held her reeling head.

Aiko hit the ground hard, but got up and started running. She had to get out of here and find help. Whoever this Ayane was, she was insane.

_Insanely strong..._ thought Aiko as she gingerly touched her throat.

A whooshing sound came from behind her. Aiko turned and saw a ball of light speeding through the forest in her direction. She threw herself face-first on the ground and felt the ball of light fly over her.

Aiko looked back and saw the ball of light crash into the trunk of a tree. The tree trunk splintered and groaned loudly as it fell forward.

Aiko scrambled just out of reach of the tree as it crashed to the ground. Gasping for breath, she looked up. Ayane's eyes burned an angry red as she flew swiftly towards Aiko.

"MISAKI!" screamed Ayane. The sound of her cry bounced off the trees.

Deep within her, Aiko felt her own anger rising and overpowering the fear she felt. She had done nothing. She didn't know who this Misaki was, but whoever she was, Aiko Hinagata was NOT going to pay for something someone else had done.

"I'M NOT MISAKI!" Aiko screamed back. She raised both her hands towards the charging Ayane. "I'M NOT HER!"

Aiko's hands grew warm and she felt a strange electricity run through her body. The feeling both frightened and intoxicated her. When a ball of sparking and hissing electricity formed in front of her hands, she felt all-powerful. Aiko focused all her anger and fear into that ball and felt it grow.

Finally, Aiko couldn't hold it any longer and let it fly. The force of the release pushed Aiko back a step and left her breathless.

Ayane saw the ball coming and raised a hand to deflect it. As it got closer, Ayane began to feel the power emanating from the ball. It was too much for her to deflect it, her only choice was to dodge. She leaned to the right, but was a split second to slow. The electrical ball smashed into Ayane's shoulder.

Ayane let out a pain-filled screamed. From head to toe, electricity crawled over her skin. It coursed through Ayane's body, causing her to convulse uncontrollably. Through it all, Aiko watched spellbound until Ayane fell motionless and silent to the ground.

Aiko briefly thought about seeing if Ayane was alive or not, but had her answer when Ayane let out an agonized groan. Aiko immediately turned and ran as far and fast as she could through the forest. There was no way she was sticking around. She had to get to the highway and flag down a car or something. She needed to get back home. She needed to get away. Her dad would be worried about her.

A few moments later, a bruised and dirty Aiko burst out onto the shoulder of the highway. Glancing up and down the road, she spotted a car headed towards her. Forgetting everything she had learned in elementary about safety, she jumped in the middle of the road, frantically waving her arms.

"Hey! What's the matter with you? Are you crazy?" asked the driver. Aiko ran to the driver's side and stuck her head through the window.

"Please...you've got to help me...this woman...she's crazy..." stammered a breathless Aiko.

"Aiko?" said a voice from the passenger seat. Aiko looked over and saw Yasuo sitting in the passenger's seat.

"Yasuo..." breathed Aiko and took a tentative step back.

Yasuo stepped out of the car and walked over towards Aiko. He noted that there were bruises around her neck, and her nightshirt was dirty and ripped in several places.

As he made his way towards her, he wondered what could have happened to her. Yasuo found himself silently seething at the thought of someone hurting Aiko.

Aiko swayed backwards and would've fallen to the ground if Yasuo had not reached out and caught her.

"Aiko...what happened? Are you okay?" he asked as he gripped her tightly.

"Yasuo...help me..." pleaded Aiko. "Please..." She felt her legs give as the exhaustion from running so hard and long caught up with her. Yasuo pulled Aiko against him, using his body to support hers. Aiko buried her face against him and began crying with a mixture of relief and frustration.

"Sure, Aiko. I'll help you," murmured Yasuo as he gathered the whimpering Aiko against him. "I'll help you." 


	4. Chapter 3: Over Sushi and French Fries

Kazuma Taisen stood in his office deep in the heart of Tokyo, overlooking the bustling city. He was the head of Taisen International Company and was involved in virtually every major business deal in Japan. Whatever he did not control, was undoubtedly controlled by the Mikages.

Kazuma clenched his fists tightly. He had worked for years to build this company up to what it now was. But whenever he tried to expand his reach and bring in new clients, the Mikages seemed to snatch them up.

"Mr. Taisen," a voice broke through his thoughts over the intercom. "Mr. Kisho wishes to speak to you on line three."

"Thank you, Miss Hajime." Kazuma walked over to his desk and sat down. Reaching out over the pristine mahogany desk, he pressed a button on his phone.

"Mr. Kisho," Kazuma said coldly. "I hope that you have good news for me."

"I do sir." On the other end, Kisho wiped the nervous sweat from his forehead. "We have confirmation on Aiko Hinagata."

Kazuma's eyes lit up with pleasure. Things were about to change for Taisen International.

"Good work, Kisho. Keep an eye on her and let me know when she is released." Kazuma hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, pressing his fingertips together.

They had confirmation on Aiko Hinagata. Kazuma couldn't stop smiling. The risks he had taken in obtaining information on the Mikages various projects had paid off. He had discovered the source of their power. Very soon, the Taisen family would wield that power with more finesse and control.

Kazuma finally leaned forward and patched himself through to his secretary.

"Miss Hajime. Get me my son, Ichiro."

¤ ¤ ¤

Yasuo impatiently paced back and forth in the hallway just outside of Aiko's hospital room. For a little over a half hour, Mr. Hinagata and a few policemen had been in there talking to Aiko. He wasn't allowed in yet, because he wasn't a family member and he couldn't help with the investigation any more. He had already given them his statement.

It had been a few hours since he and his father had arrived with Aiko. He had been worried that they'd be made to wait in the crowded waiting room, but after seeing Aiko's condition, the nurses had immediately taken her in. If they hadn't...well, Yasuo wouldn't go down that road.

Mamoru Hinagata, Aiko's father, had arrived a few minutes after receiving Yasuo's phone call. It was amazing the old man had dropped everything on such short notice. From what he knew, Mamoru Hinagata was a very busy, very dedicated businessman. He was pretty successful, business-wise. Family-wise, it was an entirely different story. Aiko seemed to have turned out okay, despite the rumors about her home life.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Yasuo leaned his head back and closed his eyes. It was extremely lucky for Aiko that he and his father had been coming back into town just at that moment. They were returning from paying an early morning visit to his mother's grave in Kuboku when Aiko burst onto the highway. If they hadn't decided to visit that morning, she might not have gotten anyone else to help her. Or she might have gotten the wrong person to help her. The world was so messed up these days.

"Yasuo!" An irritated voice echoed down the hospital's hallway.

Yasuo's shoulders immediately shot up to his ears. He knew that voice. Turning ever so slowly to his right, Yasuo saw Kaiya Hashimoto and Saiyuri Tsukimi, Aiko's two best friends.

Kaiya Hashimoto had blonde hair and dark eyes that she used to intimidate people into getting her way. She was pretty, he'd give her that, but she wasn't the type of person he'd want to date. She was too loud and outspoken. Everything she did was done with a flamboyance that would embarrass most, but not Kaiya. She thrived on the attention that she received with her usually shocking behavior.

Saiyuri followed closely behind. She was shorter with light brown hair and pale blue eyes. She was quiet and as polite as she could be. She could frequently be found blushing at Kaiya's behavior. She was usually the one to apologize for the stir Kaiya had caused. Sometimes she even succeeded in restraining Kaiya, but not very often.

Out of the two, Yasuo liked Saiyuri the best.

Saiyuri smiled pleasantly as Kaiya stalked up to Yasuo.

"Where's Aiko?" asked Kaiya as she reached Yasuo.

"In there," Yasuo jerked his thumb to a door on his left. "But you can't go in yet."

"And why not?" Kaiya asked, advancing on Yasuo, causing him to back into the wall.

"The police are in there with Mr. Hinagata. They're taking Aiko's statement right now." Yasuo replied, slightly ashamed that a girl had forced him to take even the tiniest retreat.

"Kaiya, stop pestering the poor boy."

Even before Yasuo turned, he knew who it was. He had only heard her voice once, but it was one he wouldn't forget.

Yasuo and Kaiya turned in unison towards the sound of the voice. Walking towards them was Ayane Hishi. Aiko's newest friend. Yasuo found himself inexplicable filled with anger at the sight of her. He didn't want her anywhere near Aiko, even though she was her friend. There was just something about her from the moment he first set eyes on her that he detested.

"This dear boy should be receiving our thanks. He _did_ save our Aiko, after all." Ayane wrapped an arm around Yasuo's shoulders and fixed him with a dazzling smile. "Didn't you?"

Yasuo cast Ayane a cold look. She didn't have a right to say "our Aiko" just yet. She'd only known her for a day.

But what was bothering him the most at the moment, was that she was actually _touching_ him.

"Excuse me." Yasuo brushed off Ayane's arm and headed for the hospital cafeteria.

"Yasuo," called out Saiyuri. "Where are you going?"

No answer came and the three girls watched as he rounded the corner and disappeared.

"Well!" Ayane breathed. "That seemed a little rude."

"At least he excused himself," Saiyuri said.

"Yeah, but he didn't answer you when you asked him a question." Kaiya pointed out.

"Oh yeah..." said Saiyuri thoughtfully.

The sound of a door opening had the girls turning around. The policemen stood in the doorway, holding their hats in their hands.

"We'll let you know as soon as we find anything, Mr. Hinagata." The officers bowed deeply before turning to exit the room. "Miss Hinagata, if you remember anything, please don't hesitate to call us."

The three girls stood quietly in the hallway as the officers passed by.

Once they were quite a distance away, Ayane turned to the other two girls.

"Come on ladies, let's go visit Aiko-chan." Grabbing each girl by the arm, Ayane led them into the room.

¤ ¤ ¤

Yasuo stalked into the cafeteria. He was in a foul mood from having encountered Ayane up close. He wanted to run back to Aiko's room and...

And what? What could he do that wouldn't have him either in jail or the psychiatric ward that night?

Frustrated, Yasuo searched the crowded cafeteria for his father. Somewhere in this sea of people, was Hayashi Tachikawa. Finally spotting him, Yasuo made a beeline for his father's table.

Hayashi Tachikawa was a man who enjoyed food. At the moment, he was digging into a hamburger with a side of fries smothered with cheese. Next to that sat a bowl of steaming miso soup. A plate of half a roll of sushi was next to that, and some taiyaki lounged between the two.

Where his father could find all this in a hospital, Yasuo didn't know. The man had his ways, and Yasuo had given up on trying to find out his father's secret.

Pulling up a chair next to his father, Yasuo swiped a fry.

"Hey!" exclaimed Hayashi. "I was gonna eat that."

Ignoring his father, Yasuo munched on the fry and reached for some taiyaki.

"That's it young man, you're walking home!" swore Hayashi as Yasuo bit into his pilfered food. "Stealing an old man's meal, you ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

"I'm doing you a favor," Yasuo poked his dad's slightly bulging belly. "It's not like you're starving to death."

Hayashi looked indignant as he took a bite of taiyaki.

"That's all muscle." Hayashi flexed an arm. "You'd do well to remember that."

"Sure dad." Yasuo chuckled as he reached for some sushi. Being with his dad always cheered him up.

"Hey, why aren't you with your friend Aiko? I thought you were worried about her." Hayashi reached out and sprinkled some wasabi on a cheese covered fry.

"Well...her friends were there and I didn't want to be in the way." Yasuo shrugged. "They might talk about girl things. I don't need to hear about that stuff."

Hayashi eyed his son carefully. He had a feeling there was something his son wasn't telling him. It was his fatherly duty to find out what it was.

"Yasuo, you were really worried about that Aiko girl. The way you were acting, I didn't think you'd leave her side for a minute." Hayashi reached out and grabbed some sushi, then smothered that in wasabi. He loved wasabi.

"I just thought I needed to get away for a little while and clear my head." Yasuo chewed slowly and carefully as he ate his sushi. "Everything just happened so fast, and I haven't really had a chance to breathe."

"That makes sense," Hayashi nodded. He could tell there was still something that his son wasn't telling him. But Hayashi wasn't exactly a master at stealthily extracting information from teens. He decided it was time to be blunt.

"Look, Yasuo," Hayashi began. "I've known you for 17 years. I've seen you go from lying on your back and gurgling to running around the house and yelling at the top of your lungs. I've seen all your moods, and I'd like to think I know you well enough to know when something is bothering you. I can tell that there is something bothering you right now. Why don't you tell me what it is?"

Yasuo sat there and used a french fry to push around a drop of wasabi on the plate. Hayashi sat and stared at his son, waiting for an answer.

Finally, Yasuo sighed and looked at his father.

"Okay. There is something bothering me," Yasuo began. "There's this girl, and I--"

"Ah ha! My son is in love!!!" Hayashi slapped his son on the back. "Welcome to Manhood, son!"

"Umm, no. It's not like that." Yasuo made a face. "I don't like this girl. I don't trust her at all. Something about her doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Hayashi tried to suppress the rising sense of fear in his gut. "What doesn't feel right?"

"Well...she's been nothing but nice to everyone, but it seems like she's being TOO nice. I keep getting the feeling she has some...ulterior motive. But I'm not quite sure what it is yet." Yasuo finally ate the fry he'd been pushing the wasabi drop around with.

Feeling nervous, Hayashi pushed his chair back and stood up.

"I'm sure that it's nothing. You just had a bad first impression of her. You're just imagining things, probably." Hayashi reached out and ruffled his son's hair. "It's all that TV watching you do."

Yasuo doubted that, but nodded anyway. He could tell that his father was suddenly uncomfortable for some reason.

"Hey, I just saw the cops leaving. That means you can go in to see your friend now." Hayashi stepped out from between the table and chair, and motioned for his son to get moving. "Let's go."

Yasuo rose to his feet. He wanted to see Aiko and make sure Ayane Hishi didn't lay a finger on her. He didn't like the thought of the two of them together. Even if Kaiya and Saiyuri were there also. He felt he needed to be there.

Yasuo walked past his father and led the way. He didn't see the look of worry and fear that crossed his father's face as he gazed at Yasuo.


	5. Chapter 4: Ichiro Taisen

Aiko sat in her father's car and sighed. Ever since Saturday, her father had installed a security system in their home. Complete with a chain link fence laced with barbed wire. He had called in a crew over the weekend to do the job. She now needed a passcode to get to her front door from the street. Dogs also patrolled her yard night and day. That might have been the one bright spot about all this, but she wasn't even allowed to play with the dogs.

She knew why her father was doing all this. She was his only daughter, so she understood his feelings. She just thought he went a bit too far.

Aiko watched as houses whizzed by. They all looked the same. The only differences were the colors of the houses and the things littering the lawn. Toys, lawn ornaments, rose bushes...perfectly normal things you'd find in someone's yard. The people were probably normal too. Either one or both of the parents worked, the children all attended school, maybe the children even played sports.

Until she had been attacked, Aiko thought she was one of those normal people. Someone who would grow up, go to college, get married and have kids. The whole nine yards. But now she wasn't so sure she'd be able to have a life like that. Especially with that psycho after her.

The police meant well. They were honestly trying to help. But what could they do? What could she have told them? She couldn't possibly tell them that a woman with supernatural powers had tried to kill her.

So she had covered things up as best she could. Erasing a few details here and there.

Aiko turned and gazed at her father. He was trying to protect her too. But there was nothing he could do. The powerful Mamoru Hinagata was powerless to protect his own daughter. But he didn't know it. Aiko thought she'd best leave him thinking that he could still protect her and turned to watch the scenery that rushed towards them.

She'd have to be the one protecting herself. She'd have to learn how to use her powers. The thought of doing so sent a thrilling sensation down her back. She hadn't wanted to admit it, but she had liked the feeling of all that power coursing through her body.

It crossed Aiko's mind that she could probably become a superhero. But after thinking about it, she realized that she didn't have the energy to go to school and then spend nights prowling for baddies.

"Okay, Aiko," Mamoru Hinagata broke through his daughter's thoughts. "We're coming up on your school. Now, do you remember the passcode for this week?"

"It's five-eight-three-seven." Aiko sighed. The passcode would change every week. She'd have trouble remembering each new code.

"Very good. Someone will be here to pick you up when you're finished." Mamoru pulled up a few feet from the school gates. "Wait near the gates until they arrive."

Aiko made a face. She had hoped to go Caffeine Rush with the girls this afternoon. Maybe she'd be able to convince whoever was picking her up to make a stop before taking her home.

"I will, daddy. I love you." Aiko leaned over and kissed her father's cheek. "Have a good day! Bye!"

Mamoru simply nodded as his daughter exited the vehicle. He watched as she walked towards the gates, then through them and into the school building. Satisfied, Mamoru began making his way towards his office.

Aiko strolled the halls of Jindai Houbi High. She had missed almost a week of school. If it hadn't been for Saiyuri, she'd be behind in everything.

Walking towards her class, Aiko began noticing that some people were staring at her. A few girls began whispering to each other furiously as she passed by. Aiko tried to ignore it. They had probably seen reports of what had happened to her on TV. She raised a hand to her throat. At least the bruises were gone...

"Aiko."

Nearly dropping the books she carried, Aiko spun around to see who had spoken her name.

"Oh, Yasuo." Aiko breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me."

"Sorry about that." Yasuo grinned. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling great." Aiko flashed him a smile. "Much better than last week."

"Yeah. You definitely look better." Yasuo noted that the bruises had faded away, and that she wasn't as silent as she had been at the hospital.

"Thanks." Suddenly feeling shy under Yasuo's close scrutiny, Aiko gazed down at her feet. "By the way...I never thanked you for rescuing me."

"No problem," Yasuo winked at Aiko. "Just let me know when you feel like falling into my arms again."

Aiko blushed furiously. She couldn't believe he'd just said that. And after she had just thanked him for something too! Not knowing what else to do, she clobbered Yasuo with her books and sent him sprawling to the floor.

"Oh my gosh!!!" Aiko blinked in shock then bent over to help him up. "I'm so sorry Yasuo!"

"Aiko Hinagata, I presume." A smooth voice interrupted Aiko's attempt to assist Yasuo. "They said you were a knockout, I didn't know they meant that literally."

Aiko cast a glance over her shoulder in the direction of the voice. Encountering a pair of legs dressed in the boy's uniform of her school, Aiko glanced further upward. She found herself staring into the face of someone she had never seen before. And what a beautiful face it was.

Forgetting about Yasuo, Aiko turned and smiled pleasantly.

"That's me! Who are you?" asked Aiko.

"Ichiro Taisen," came the reply. Ichiro bowed deeply and took Aiko's hand in his and kissed it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Aiko blushed as Yasuo sprung to his feet.

"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?" Yasuo asked furiously. His head still pounded from the blow he'd received from Aiko.

Ichiro turned slowly and faced Yasuo. His red hair danced in the light, and his green eyes showed the disinterest with which he regarded Yasuo.

"Introducing myself." Calmly, Ichiro reached out to brush the dirt off Yasuo's uniform. "As I've told this lovely lady, my name is Ichiro Taisen. Who might you be?"

"Yasuo Tachikawa," slapping Ichiro's hand away, Yasuo eyed him suspiciously. "Taisen? Your father wouldn't be Kazuma Taisen? The head of Taisen International?"

Ichiro rolled his eyes and looked bored.

"Yes," Ichiro sighed. "Father's business has been ailing, as of late. So rather than continuing to pay for my tuition at Jonen Academy, he sent me to this drab little place."

Turning to face Aiko, Ichiro flashed a dazzling smile.

"Although I must say, there is one thing here that makes this school worth my while." Reaching into his uniform jacket, Ichiro produced a single rose and presented it to Aiko.

"Why...thank you..." Aiko blushed as she took the rose and sniffed it daintily.

"Miss Aiko, would you do me the honor of showing me around?" Offering his right arm, Ichiro gestured with his left down the hall.

"Sure!" Aiko gripped Ichiro's arm lightly as they began walking down the hall.

Yasuo stood in the middle of the hallway and silently stewed. He had a bad feeling about this guy too. It wasn't up to the level of immediate danger he had felt around Ayane Hishi, though.

"Who's the new guy?"

Yasuo turned to see Saiyuri and Kaiya standing closely behind him, watching Aiko leave.

"Ichiro Taisen," replied Yasuo.

"No way, Ichiro Taisen?!?!?!" gasped Kaiya as Saiyuri's eyes widened in shock. "The only son of Kazuma Taisen?!?!?"

Yasuo merely nodded. He felt sick.

"Way to go, Aiko!" laughed Kaiya. Taking Saiyuri by the hand, she ran to catch up with Aiko. "Come on, Saiyuri, let's go meet the new guy."

"Bye Yasuo," called Sayuri over her shoulder as she was dragged away by Kaiya.

Yasuo stood there and watched them run off.

"Dumb girls," said Yasuo silently and turned to take a long walk.

¤ ¤ ¤

"And this, is our Teacher's Lounge," gesturing to her right, Aiko indicated a green door with a narrow rectangular window. "Students aren't allowed in here, but no one would want to go in anway. It smells too much like cigarettes and coffee."

Ichiro laughed and lightly patted the hand that gripped his arm.

"Aiko, you have such a great sense of humor." Ichiro smiled warmly at her.

Aiko raised an eyebrow. She hadn't been trying to be funny, but she supposed this was how rich people behaved sometimes. She had heard somewhere that wealthy people were usually eccentric.

"Father is having a little soirèe tonight. Would you do me the honor of being my date?" Ichiro turned to grip Aiko by both her arms. "Please say yes."

"A date?" Aiko asked, slightly confused. "But we've just met, isn't this a little too soon?"

Ichiro laughed again.

"My dear Aiko, you've never been on a date, have you?" Seeing Aiko blush and stammer in response, Ichiro went on. "Think of this as a way for you and I to get to know each other better. It's not like we're getting married."

Ichiro's eyes danced as he gazed at Aiko.

"So...what do you say?" ventured Ichiro.

"I say...yes." Aiko smiled up at Ichiro. "I'd like to go with you."

"Splendid." Ichiro smiled impossibly brighter. "I shall pick you up at 6:30. Would that be alright?"

Aiko nodded. She was going on a date with Ichiro Taisen. Her first date would be with the son of one of the country's richest families.

A loud beeping sound echoed through the hall, bringing Aiko back to the present.

"Excuse me a moment," Ichiro reached into his pocket and took out a cell phone. "I'll only be a second."

Ichiro opened the door to a classroom and peeked in. Finding it deserted, he stepped inside. Unfolding his cell, Ichiro raised it to his ear.

"Yes?" "Ichiro." On the other end, Kazuma Taisen stubbed out a cigarette in a diamond ashtray. "How goes your first day of school?"

"It hasn't even started yet, Father." Ichiro rolled his eyes. "Maybe if you'd call back in a few hours I'll have a better answer for you."

"Don't start with me, young man. You know what I meant."

"I'm sorry." Ichiro sighed. "She's coming to your party tonight. She seemed rather excited about the prospect of attending."

"Good. Good." Kazuma smiled. "Remember what your mission is, Ichiro. Remember what _she_ is."

"That's the part I don't understand. She just seems like a regular girl." Ichiro glanced around the little classroom. "How is _she_ supposed to be this tennyo you keep speaking of?"

Kazuma sighed. Being so young, his son was constantly focused on outward appearances. He never really paid any attention to what was beneath the surface.

"Ichiro, appearances can be deceiving. She has powers. Powers that will help Taisen International become not only the top rated company in Japan, but in all other countries too." Kazuma reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "We need to be able to control that power. And there is only one way for women to be controlled. It is not _only_ through material things, but through her heart. Take hold of her heart, and you take hold of her."

Ichiro sighed impatiently. His father loved to say things like that.

"I know. I know." Ichiro shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "You want me to make her fall in love with me."

"Yes. Get her to fall in love with you and then you, my son, will be able to take this company to new heights." Kazuma's eyes glittered with the hopes and dreams he held for his son. For his company.

Ichiro rolled his eyes then hung up on his father. He knew what he was supposed to do, and he'd do it. He had left behind a number of conquests at Jonen Academy, so this wouldn't be very difficult. With a smug smile, he exited the deserted classroom.

Glancing up and down the hallway, he spotted Aiko chatting with three other girls. The blonde appeared to be a bit boyish in her mannerisms, and the brunette a complete opposite.

The third girl had her back to him, but Ichiro found himself most captivated by her. She had shiny, silky black hair. He found himself about to reach out and touch it, but then pulled back, remembering his manners and what he was here for.

"Ladies, I don't believe we've met." Smiling his most charming smile, Ichiro walked around the girls and put his hand on Aiko's shoulder. "Would you care to introduce us, Aiko?"

"Sure!" Aiko gestured to the blonde girl who stood with her arms crossed in front of her. "This is Kaiya Hashimoto."

"Hey." Kaiya waved and gave a friendly smile.

"Sayuri Tsukimi," Aiko pointed towards the brunette who smiled shyly held her books tighter against her, then the girl with the silky black hair. "And Ayane Hishi."

Ayane looked up and smiled half-heartedly at Ichiro.

"Girls, this is Ichiro Taisen." Aiko patted Ichiro's hand. "He's just transferred here from Jonen Academy."

"Wow," Kaiya said. "Ichiro Taisen? What made you decided to come here of all places?"

"I heard that this school had many beautiful girls." Ichiro took Kaiya's hand and kissed the back of it. "Looks like I heard right."

Kaiya blushed as she took her hand back.

Ichiro peeled Sayuri's left hand off of her math book and kissed the back of it. Sayuri turned a bright red, then shrank back against the wall.

Laughing, Ichiro turned to face Ayane. He found himself captivated by her dark brown eyes. They were the most amazing things he had ever seen. He reached out and took her right hand. It was soft and delicate. Her fingernails were perfectly manicured.

Now _this_ was the kind of girl he wouldn't mind becoming one of his conquests.

"Very nice to meet all of you," Ichiro mumbled as he bent to kiss her hand.

Looking disgusted, Ayane pulled her hand out of his at the last minute. When Ichiro looked up at her questioningly, she simply rolled her eyes.

"Sorry," Ayane said. "But no one touches me unless I want them to."

Aiko and Sayuri winced slightly, while Kaiya burst out laughing.

"My mistake." Ichiro bowed reverently, then turned to the rest of the girls. "Ladies, I'm afraid I must leave you now. I must speak with the Principal. Thank you very much, Aiko, for showing me around."

Ichiro went over to Aiko and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you tonight," he said loud enough for the other girls to hear, then walked away leaving a stunned silence behind him.

As he walked away, he heard the other two girls squeal excitedly and a rude noise escape from the third. Smiling to himself as he walked, Ichiro made plans for the conquest of Aiko and Ayane.

"Business before pleasure," he muttered as he made his way to the Principal's office.


	6. Chapter 5: The Family Secret

    Yasuo furiously shoved books into his locker. He had heard that Aiko would be going out with Ichiro Taisen later that night.

    "He's only been here a day and already he's..." Yasuo threw his math notebook in his locker, then realized he needed it. He wasn't even sure what he was so upset about. It wasn't like he and Aiko were anything to each other except classmates.

    Yasuo removed his abused math notebook, then slammed his locker shut and turned to head towards class. He had only gone a few feet when he spotted Aiko walking arm in arm with Ichiro. Yasuo watched as Ichiro bent close and whispered something in Aiko's ear, making her laugh and smile up at him. For a second, Yasuo realized what he was so upset about, then pushed the thought out of his head as he saw Aiko glance at him.

    As Yasuo turned away, he heard her call out his name. He didn't bother to answer as he hastily pushed his way through the crowd and disappeared among the other students.

    Aiko watched him disappear and let her hand drop back to her side. She'd been waving like mad to get Yasuo's attention. She had wanted to ask him to be her chemistry partner for that week's lab. In the second that their eyes had met, she thought she saw a shadow cross Yasuo's face. Was he upset about something?

    "Is something wrong?" Ichiro asked. "You look troubled."

    "Oh, it's nothing." Aiko smiled sweetly at Ichiro. "I was just thinking about what to wear tonight."

    "You could arrive dressed in rags and you'd still be lovely." Ichiro said as he kissed her forehead.

    Aiko blushed for a moment, then let her thoughts turn back to Yasuo. She hoped there wasn't anything wrong.

¤ ¤ ¤

    At 7:00, Aiko stood in the ballroom of Shidarezakura, an upscale hotel that the Taisen family owned. It had been difficult for her to convince her father to let her leave the house. But when she had informed him that she'd be attending a party for the Taisen family, he had practically shoved her out the door. With his business card in hand, of course.

    In the ballroom, chairs and tables were arranged around a polished square dance floor. Waiters scurried between the chairs and tables and skirted the dance floor carrying trays of elegant dishes. On stage, a band played music lively enough to dance to. Several couples were on the dance floor smiling and laughing as they danced.

    Next to her, Ichiro smiled earnestly as he surveyed the room. Squeezing Aiko's hand, he turned to speak to her.

    "Shidarezakura is one of the most beautiful hotels you'll ever see," Ichiro said proudly. "My father has worked very hard to make sure that every detail of this hotel is perfect. Everything, right down to the colors chosen for the napkins, are chosen to promote a certain kind of mood."

    "It's definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen," Aiko replied as she surveyed the room. "There are so many people here."

    "They're mostly business associates and clients of my father," Ichiro said. "When you're as successful as my father is, most of your attention is focused on staying on top of the game and ahead of your competitors. This is one of the ways my father does that."

    Aiko nodded, understanding the things Ichiro wasn't saying. Her father was successful in his own right, but not on the scale of Kazuma Taisen. If her father was barely around, she wondered what it must be like for Ichiro.

    "But enough about that," Ichiro was saying as he brought her hand to his lips. "Would you care to dance?"

    Heat crept into Aiko's cheeks as she managed to croak out something that Ichiro interpreted as a yes. While weaving their way to the dance floor, Ichiro was stopped by several men who seemed eager to talk to him. They crowded in around him, asking questions about his health, his new school and his father's health. Ichiro smiled pleasantly, but was irritated at the interruption.

    While waiting patiently, Aiko felt a strange electricity in the air. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and every inch of her body quivered in anticipation of something. But what?

    Rubbing her arms, she tried to take a deep breath and relax. It was probably just her nerves. All the excitement of being part of a Taisen Family party must be getting to her. She decided it would be best for her to take a moment to compose herself.

    "Ichiro," Aiko lightly touched Ichiro's armed. "Would you please excuse me for a moment? I need to...freshen up."

    Ichiro turned to look at her, and noticed something was wrong. Concerned, he ignored the group of men trying to ingratiate themselves with him.

    "Are you all right, Aiko?" Ichiro took both of her hands in his and peered at her closely. "You look a little pale."

    "I'm fine," smiling weakly, she took a step back. "I'll be back soon. I just need to freshen up a bit."

    Ichiro eyed her for a moment longer, then finally nodded and kissed her fingertips, bringing back some color to Aiko's cheeks.

    "Hurry back," he said and turned once again to face his father's associates.

    With her fingers still tingling, Aiko frantically made her way to the bathroom. Unfortunately, it was crowded with women chattering, reapplying make-up and catching up with each other's lives. Desperate to be alone, Aiko wandered out into the open foyer that led to the ballroom.

    It was considerably less crowded out here. There was a cool night breeze blowing, but it didn't do much to calm Aiko's nerves. She could still feel the electricity in the air.

    "Misaki," a voice whispered in Aiko's ear. Aiko whirled around and faced nothing. The electricity in the air got stronger, and she could feel it crawling up and down her back.

    Taking a step back, she turned to head back into the ballroom.

    Standing in her way was a figure wearing a black hooded cape. Aiko looked around the foyer and discovered it suddenly empty.

    "I shall never let another have you." The figure reached up and pulled the hood back, revealing dark hair that shimmered under the lights of the foyer.

    _It's the psycho Ayane..._ thought Aiko. _What do I do?_

    "I don't know what you're talking about, lady," Aiko said. "But I'm getting tired of explaining to you that I'm not this 'Misaki' person."

    Standing with her feet shoulder-width apart, Aiko clenched her fists at her sides. The wind picked up and her hair began blowing in the wind. Ayane sneered wickedly.

    "You _are_ Misaki," Ayane said. "I can't let anyone else have you."

    Ayane charged as Aiko braced herself.

¤ ¤ ¤

    Yasuo sat up suddenly, knocking his textbook and notebook off his lap and onto the floor.

    "Yasuo, are you okay?" Yasuo's father, Hayashi, folded down the edge of the newspaper he had been reading to look at Yasuo.

    "Aiko..." Yasuo stood up and grabbed his jacket, then headed for the door.

    "Where are you going?" Hayashi put down his paper and went after his son.

    "Aiko's in trouble, dad," Yasuo didn't know why exactly, but he felt that he needed to get to her as soon as possible. "I have to help her."

    "But, how do you know? Come on, Yasuo. Sit down. She's probably fine." Hayashi had begun to sweat slightly. "Come on. It's almost time for that show you wanted to see. What was it called again?"

    Yasuo shook his head and reached for the door knob. Hayashi's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Yasuo cast a glance back at his dad.

    "Son. Don't go." Hayashi stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact with Yasuo.

    "Dad, I'm sorry. I can't explain why, but...I know Aiko needs me. I'm sorry." Yasuo opened the door and stepped out into the night. "I'll be back soon!"

    As the door clicked shut, Hayashi continued staring at the ground, tears brimming in his eyes. Lifting his head, Hayashi turned and picked up a framed photograph from an end table.

    "Tokiko," Hayashi sighed, wiping his tears from his eyes. "I guess it's time to tell him, huh?"

    Hayashi put down the photograph of his dead wife and went into his bedroom. A while later he emerged wearing a headband with a strange circular shaped crest on it. In his hand, he carried a heavy silver pendant with a similar crest.

    Picking up the photo again, Hayashi blew a kiss to the smiling woman it had captured.

    "My love," he said. "I know you can hear me up there, so please, watch over our son until I can get to him."

    With that, Hayashi set down the photo again and left the house. Determined to catch up with his son. 


	7. Chapter 6: Kiyosumi

Yasuo raced down the street. He was getting close. He could feel it. His heart beat rapidly in his chest as the wind whipped his hair against his face. 

"Aiko...I'm coming... Just hang in there!" he shouted, not caring that she couldn't hear him. 

As he rounded a corner, Yasuo crashed into a man on his way home. 

"Sorry!" called out Yasuo as he continued running. He was answered by a slew of curse words that he never knew existed. Undaunted, he continued running. 

But to where? There was no reason for this feeling he had, but it was leading him somewhere. This feeling told him that Aiko was in trouble. It wasn't a twinge, it was something more than that. 

He made up his mind. He would continue to follow this feeling. If it was wrong, Aiko would be fine. If he was right... 

He dreaded to think of it. But it kept trying to pop into the front of his mind. He shook his head and picked up his pace. 

Behind him, he heard a car slow down as it approached. 

"Yasuo!" 

Yasuo nearly tripped and fell flat on his face. 

"Dad?" 

"Yasuo, get in the car," Hayashi said. 

"No way! Dad, I know you don't believe me, but Aiko is in trouble! She needs me." 

"I know, son. But I know where she is." 

Yasuo stopped dead in his tracks and faced his father. 

"What? How?" Yasuo asked as he slid into the passenger's side. 

"Newspaper. The Taisens are having a fancy party at that hotel of theirs." Hayashi hit the gas, and the car sped off. 

Clipping his seatbelt together, Yasuo glanced at his father and noticed for the first time the headband he wore. 

"Dad? What's that?" Yasuo pointed at the symbol on his father's headband. 

Hayashi tightened his grip on the steering wheel. 

"Son, what do you remember about your mother?" Hayashi asked carefully. 

"Mom?" Yasuo paused and thought carefully. "She was . . . beautiful . . . " He closed his eyes and pictured his mother's smiling face as his father smiled softly. 

"Yes. She was . . . " Hayashi could feel tears welling up in his eyes. "But she was more than that. She was unique." 

"Dad . . . " Yasuo began. 

"Listen to me, Yasuo. Your mother . . . she wasn't an ordinary woman. She was a descendant of a tennyo." 

"What?" Yasuo wasn't sure he could believe what he had heard. "You mean like in the bedtime stories she used to tell me?" 

"It's not just a bedtime story, son. This symbol," he tapped the symbol on his forehead. "Is the crest of the tennyo. By wearing it, one becomes shielded from the powers of other tennyo. But this will only work if it has been infused with the energy of a tennyo." 

"Dad, you're joking, right?" 

Hayashi reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace. 

"This headband and necklace were infused with your mother's energy. She wanted you to have the necklace." Hayashi blinked rapidly as thoughts of his wife threatened to steal his concentration from driving. 

Yasuo took the necklace from his father's fingers. He was positive that his dad was crazy. But looking at him and touching the necklace, Yasuo knew his dad wasn't _totally_ crazy. 

As he slipped the necklace on, Yasuo felt a sense of security. 

"Mom . . . " he whispered as he touched the chain again. Meanwhile, the car slid to a halt. 

"We're here," announced Hayashi as he turned, he found Yasuo already standing outside of the car. 

The feeling hadn't gone away. If anything, it had gotten stronger. 

Yasuo's heart froze as he heard Aiko scream. That was all he needed to send him racing off towards the sound of her voice.

* * *

Someone was screaming. The sound hurt her ears. Aiko opened her eyes and found that _she_ was screaming. Pain shot through every inch of her body. She was surrounded by a red haze, and through it she could see a figure laughing maniacally. 

There was a bright flash, and Aiko felt her shoulder rip open. She didn't dare to look at the wound, and shut her eyes tightly once again. She knew that if she did, she'd lose her mind. She wanted it to end. The laughing, the pain . . . everything. 

"Please let it end . . . " whispered Aiko. "Oh god . . . let it end . . . " 

"AIKO!" someone shouted. "AIKO! HANG ON!" 

Aiko opened her eyes and saw someone standing with his back to her. 

"Ya-Yasuo?" she managed hoarsely. 

Yasuo cast a cocky grin over his shoulder at her. 

"Hey Sunshine. I'll be with you in a minute," he turned back to face the woman in front of him. "Who are you and what the hell are you doing to Aiko?" 

"She must pay. Misaki must pay." Fire burned in Ayane's eyes. "I am Ayane! The one whom Misaki forsake." 

"Ayane? Ayane Hishi?" Yasuo asked confused as the woman cackled. 

In the next instant, a ball of energy was headed straight for Yasuo. 

"Foolish human. Trying to protect what can not be protected!" cried Ayane. 

The energy ball split into several spots of light and hardened into crystals. Yasuo's eyes grew wide, but he didn't move. He _would_ protect Aiko. Gritting his teeth, Yasuo spread his arms in an attempt to further shield Aiko. 

A crystal shard shot towards Yasuo's chest. Yasuo watched in disbelief as it shattered and disintegrated before it could pierce through his clothing. That shard was immediately followed by others, and while they forced him back with each impact, he was unscathed. 

Both Ayane and Yasuo were dumbfounded. 

"What are you?" snarled Ayane as she prepared to launch another attack. 

"He's my son," Hayashi said as he appeared behind Ayane, pressing a knife to her neck. 

"Dad!" cried Yasuo. 

"Yasuo! Take Aiko," ordered Hayashi. When Yasuo hesitated, Hayashi shouted, "GO!" 

Yasuo turned to face Aiko, who looked at him blankly. 

"Let's go," he said. 

Aiko nodded and Yasuo watched as her eyes rolled up into her head and her body crumpled to the ground. Swearing, Yasuo tossed her over his shoulder and carried her towards the car. 

Ayane watched them leave silently. 

"You," she said firmly. "You and your son bear the mark of Tennyo. How is it that mortals like you know of it and are able to use it?" 

"My wife was a tennyo. She gave it to us so that we would be safe," answered Hayashi. "She was a gentle tennyo and very beautiful. Nothing like you." 

Ayane's eyes flashed as she whirled on him. 

"YOU! YOU ARE A MORTAL MAN WHO HAS TAINTED A TENNYO! YOU WILL PAY!" 

The force in her voice sent Hayashi flying through the air. Yasuo returned from the parking lot and saw his dad sailing through the air and landing in a tree. 

A dark red aura enveloped Ayane. it pulsed with the hatred consuming her heart. 

"Despicable thing," murmured Ayane as she floated to the bench Hayashi lay on. "Your death will be painful." 

Terror filled Yasuo's heart and prevented him from crying out. 

Hayashi was hurt badly, but he was alive. He groaned and touched a hand to his forehead. Instead of the headband, he felt flesh and blood. Looking up, he saw Ayane poised to deliver another blow. 

"Damn . . . " thought Hayashi as he shoved himself off the branch and onto the ground so many feet below. He landed hard and heard several bones break. Pain shot through his body, blinding him. 

Yasuo saw his father fall. He watched in horror as Ayane landed next to the body of his father. He scrambled as fast as he could toward his father, praying that he'd get there in time.

* * *

Aiko's eyes fluttered open. Her body hurt in several places. She could feel blood ooze down her arms, chest and legs with every heart beat. She lay in the backseat of a car. But whose? 

Sitting up, she noticed someone had covered her with a jacket. The tag read "Tachikawa." It was Yasuo's jacket. 

Yasuo. 

Aiko's eyes widened. That stupid boy! If that crazy bitch was still around . . . 

Fighting against the pain, Aiko got out of the car. She could see Yasuo with his back to her, staring at something. 

"Yasuo!" she tried to shout, but only produced a raspy sound. Aiko watched as he took off in the direction he had been looking. 

Sighing irritably, she hobbled towards the spot he had been standing.

* * *

Hayashi chuckled as he lay on his stomach. He was going to die. He knew it. He couldn't move anything. 

"Dad!" he heard Yasuo yell. 

"I'm sorry, Yasuo," whispered Hayashi. "You're on your own now." 

Ayane raised her hand, and a dark aura began to form around it. She aimed at Hayashi's heart. 

Yasuo seemed to be moving in slow motion. His legs were so heavy. He wasn't fast enough. He wasn't fast enough! 

Hayashi heard his son's anguished cry and felt a tremendous pressure around his heart. Briefly, Hayashi wondered if his son's eyes were filled with tears. He didn't want to make his son cry. 

Yasuo knelt beside his father's body. He could barely see anything through his tears. 

"Dad?" Yasuo gently shook his father's body. "C'mon dad. This isn't funny. Get up." 

Yasuo sniffled and wiped furiously at his tears. 

"Dad . . . Come on . . . You can't leave me. YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!" Yasuo gripped his dad's shoulders tightly and sobbed onto his back. 

"Dad . . . " Yasuo whispered as the tears began to flow freely. 

A terrified shriek brought Yasuo out of his misery. He sat up and saw Aiko sitting on the ground with Ayane hovering overhead. 

Rage washed over Yasuo and clung to his heart. 

"No. Not again. Not again . . . " Yasuo walked purposefully towards Ayane. "Stop." 

Ayane leaned over Aiko and raised her hand. 

"Where are your celestial powers now, Misaki?" Ayane sneered and prepared to deliver a death blow. 

"Stop it," came a commanding voice. Ayane faltered. 

"Who dares to interfere?" snarled Ayane as she whirled around and was nearly blown backwards by the tremendous amount of energy she felt. 

"I do," Yasuo said, he was enveloped in a bright light. "You won't harm her, or anyone else, ever again." 

"Tch. Little bastard. Go now, before I deal with you like I dealt with your father," Ayane hissed. 

At her words, the glowing around Yasuo's body dimmed. 

"Dad . . . " whispered Yasuo. He cried out as he felt his heart begin to break. He doubled over and clutched at his chest. 

"Hmph. That was easy . . . " murmured Ayane as she turned back to Aiko. 

Yasuo clutched his chest. His father . . . his father was gone. What would he do? He was all alone now . . . 

Yasuo felt his heart break even more. There was no one . . . no one left for him. Shutting his eyes tightly, Yasuo screamed in frustration and sadness. 

"Yasuo!" screamed Aiko. "YASUO!" 

At the sound of her voice, his heart broke into several pieces. 

"Aiko . . . " he whispered as a brilliant flash of light enveloped him once again. Aiko covered her eyes and Ayane paused once more. 

"No . . . " growled Ayane. "It can't be." 

Aiko couldn't believe her eyes. Yasuo wasn't Yasuo anymore, but someone else . . . His long dark hair glistened blue in the moonlight while his tanned skin begged to be caressed. His eyes were closed, but when they opened, they were the loveliest golden color Aiko had ever seen. 

"Yasuo?" breathed Aiko. 

The being once known as Yasuo smiled softly at Aiko. 

"Yes and no. I am Kiyosumi."


End file.
